IKEA Hack: PAINTED Kallax

I originally posted about my IKEA Kallax Hack in October 2018. Since it continues to be one of my most frequently visited posts, I thought it was time to revisit it and give it a little love.

Spoiler: it’s been over five years since I’ve painted this piece, and I’m much more impressed with how it’s stood up than I expected I’d be. Overall I’ve been relatively careful when handling it compared to how I’d interact with an un-doctored up IKEA unit, but I have had some clumsy-ish/rougher moments along the way where it’s encountered a few dings — though they seem to be ones I can easily retouch if the mood strikes. For the cost, ease, and visual impact, it was a quick weekend project that I’m happy I took on.

Here’s how I did it:

Step one: Sand

It's important to lightly sand all pieces that would be painted. The laminate units aren't porous and you need to start by creating a surface that will more easily allow the paint to stick.

Step two: Prime

Sanding isn't enough! Invest in a small can of primer made for laminate surfaces to give you the foundation you need. I used Zinsser's BIN Shellac-Based Primer Sealer that you can get at any hardware store — here’s a link from Kent or Home Depot (they should have a smaller can, but I can’t find the link at the time of this post). I applied the BIN using a mini-foam roller on all sides/edges.

Step three: Paint

Wait for the primer to dry, then, using a mini-foam roller, apply two coats of chosen paint to all exposed sides. A few other notes on this step:

After experimenting with both a brush and a roller, I found that a mini-roller worked much better to get a clean finish.
I wish I took my time a little bit more here. I was excited and impatient, and there are a few drips that I could have easily avoided if I took a bit more care.
Select a durable, hardwearing paint finish that can be used on wood, rather than a wall/ceiling paint. I used Farrow & Ball's Modern Eggshell finish.
Be sure to wait the recommended drying time before flipping the pieces over or applying your second coat of paint.
I also recommend making sure you're painting in a space free of dust and pet hair. If you have a dog that sheds fur like ours does, you'll want to ensure your workspace is extra clean!

Step three: Assemble

Assemble your furniture according to the directions and voila. Filling it up and styling it is the fun bonus you’ve been waiting for!

Below are some photos of mine over the years (you can see the drips I mentioned in the last photo).

If you’re wondering why we went with the Kallax unit to begin with, our living room has a long wall that was previously bare, due to the awkward nature of it being right along the line of traffic from two doorways. Because we wanted to keep the path clear, we were looking for a long, shallow shelving option that could accommodate vinyl records, books, and magazines, and that would give us a tabletop for our record player, speakers, and accessories. It was also important that we could find an affordable unit that wouldn't break the bank, and at the same time wanted to feel like our piece was special. After some digging, the Kallax had the best dimensions for what we hoping to achieve, but wanted to make it our own.

We had been planning to paint our walls in Farrow & Ball's Cinder Rose (a sort of murky, dusty pink), which you can see we did in later photos — we wanted to be able to carry the same colour through to the Kallax, making it feel more like a built-in.

Hopefully this post helps if you’re looking to do something similar, and if you have any comments or questions feel free to share them below.